Fabric-holding apparatus for embroidering-machine.



J. TOPLITZ. FABRIC HOLDING APPARATUS FOR EMBROIDERING MACHINES.

APPLlCATION FILED AUG.25, 1913- n0 m1 4 m r as Mm m w I a P 8 m 7 6 5 6,W 5 7 i 1 0 1 Z J. TOPLITZ.

FABRIC HOLDING APPARATUS FOR EMBROIDERING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.Z5. 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ZU/ztnessw -.Z'7a2)entb THE QULUMBIA PLANOGRAPH ,c0., WASHINGTON, D. C.

JOSEPH TOPLITZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FABRIC-HOLDING APPARATUS FOR EMBROIDERING-MACHINES.

Application filed August 25, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH ToPLrrz, a citi-Zen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county ofNew York and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fabric- Holding Apparatus for Embroidering-Viachines,fully described and represented in the following specification and theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to fabric'holding apparatus for embroideringmachines, and the invention has been made with the idea of providingapparatus of this kind which shall be adapted for holding, suitablystretched, a large number of separate pieces of fabric to be operatedupon at the same time in the machine.

The invention is especially applicable to, or adapted for use inconnection with, embroidery machines of the kind generally known asSwiss embroidering machines, in which the fabric to be embroidered iscarried by a frame which is mounted to vibrate or move in a suitablemanner according to the pattern to be embroidered in suitable relationto the embroidering needles; and the invention aims to provide apparatusfor attachment to such a machine when it is desired to embroider on anumber of separate pieces of clrth, as for example, a large number ofsmall handkerchiefs or similar pieces of fabric, which apparatus shallbe of such a character that it may readily be attached to the vibratingframe or fabric carrying member of the machine, without necessitatingany substantial change in the vibrating frame or in other cooperatingparts of the machine which would result in loss in time or labor orrender the machine unadapted for other classes of work.

The invention also aims to provide fabric holding devices of such acharacter that the separate pieces of fabric may be readily and quicklystretched on the holding devices and securely held in position withoutdamage,

and that the unstretchedportions of the fabric may be readily disposedand held out of the way while the fabric is in the machine.

With these ends in view the invention consists in various features ofconstruction, arrangement and combinations of parts as hereinafter fullydescribed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

A full understanding of the invention can Specification of LettersPatent.

Serial No. 786,398.

best be given by detailed description of an approved constructionembodying the various features of the invention, and such av descriptionwill now be given in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure l is a broken perspective view of so much of anembroidering machine provided with apparatus embodying my in vention asis necessary for illustrating and giving an understanding of the same.Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the assembling or carrying frame shown inFig. 1, taken on line 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view on a smallerscale of a portion of the assembling frame with a number of the fabricholding frames in position therein, the fabric holding frames beingshown without any fabric stretched thereon and with the retaining rodsremoved for clearness. Fig. i is a perspective view 011 a large scale ofone of the fabric holding frames. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectionalview of a fabric holding frame taken on line 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is across-sectional view on a still further enlarged scale showing twoadjacent fabric holding frames as they stand when assembled in theassembling frame and with handkerchiefs or other pieces of fabricstretched thereon. This view shows the frames of full size as they havebeen made.

Referring to the drawings, parts 10, 11 and 12 in Fig. 1 representrespectively the lower horizontal beam, one of the end uprights and anintermediate upright of a vibrating frame of an embroidering machine.Mounted on these parts of the vi brating frame are two relativelyadjustable supporting bars or members 13 and 1% for supporting andholding in position a carrying or'assembling frame 15, and thesesupporting members are formed in the construction shown by oppositelyfacing channel bars or beams, the lower channel bar 13 being supportedas shown in Fig. l on an I beam 10 of the vibrating frame, as by meansof brackets 16, and the upper channel bar lat being carried by ahorizontal bar or beam 17 which is mounted on the upright members 11 and12 of the vibrating frame in such a way as to be movable or adjustablevertically to permit the assembling frame to be placed in positionbetween and removed from the supporting bars 13 and 14. As shown, thebeam 17 is carried at one end by a bracket 18 which has a slot and boltconmad nection with the upright 11, and at the other end the beam 17 iscarried by a bracket 19 which has a split collar adapted to slide on theupright or rod'12 and to be secured thereto by means of the bolt orscrew 20. The beam 17 and channel bar 14 are shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings in raised position to permit the placing or removal of theassembling frame. By moving the beam 17 downward from this raisedposition, the channel bar 14- may be brought down to position to receivethe upper bar of the frame 15, and being then secured in such loweredposition, the assembling frame will be socurely positioned and held inplace in the vibrating frame of the machine. The vibrating work carryingframe of embroidery machines of the kind to which the present inventionis especially applicable are com-- monly made of such large size as toafford space for mounting therein several assembling frames of such sizeas are employed in embroidering handkerchiefs, for example, and suchframes may be arranged in the vibrating frame in two or more rows ortiers, one above the other, with two or more assembling frames in eachrow according to the length of the assembling frames. 1 have forconvenience made the assembling frames approximately 2.; yards long and1 foot high.

The pieces of fabric to beembroidered are stretched on holding devicescarried by the assembling frame 15 and which in the constructivn shownare provided by removable fabric holding frames 25 adapted to beassembled and held side by side in the assembling frame. These fabricholding frames will be of size suitable according to the character ofthe work to be done and are conveniently made of rectangular shape withtheir vertical dimension as they stand in the machine considerablygreater than their dimension horizontally or lengthwise of theassembling frame. The two side bars of each holding frame are form-edwith longitudinally extending fabric holding channels 26 opening towardone face, which may be called the front, of the frame, and in to whichchannels the fabric may be pressed and held bv means of removableretaining rods 27. These rods are of a size to fit snugly in thechannels with the fabric passed about them and are best formed as shownof metal rods provided with a tubular casing or covering of india rubberor other suitable yielding material, although a suitable yieldingsurface rod might of course be made in (ther ways. The outer sides ofthe side bars, or side edges of the frame, are formed with outwardlyextending rear flanges 28 so that when the frames are placed inadjoining positions, as when assembled in the assembling frame and asshown by Fig. 6, the flanges 28 of adjacent frames w1ll abut andposition the frames 7 relative to each other so as to leave a longiderthat the fabric thus tucked into the re cesses 29 between adjoiningframes shall be more securely held in place, the side edges of theframes are formed also with front projecting flanges 30 to provide tnerecesses with undercut side walls, the flanges being shorter, however,than the rear projecting flanges 28 so as to leave sufficient open spacefor the tucking in of the unstretched portions of the fabric. The endbars of the frames 25 are also best formed with front opening fabricreceiving channels so that the fabric may, if desired, be held at theends as well as the sides of the frame, and instead of providingindependent retaining rods for these channels 25, the retaining rods 27may each be formed with an angularly extending portion 2'? to fit in oneof the channels 25 Usually, however, it is most desirable to secure thefabric merely in the side channels 25, and in such case, instead ofentirely removing the re taining rodsfroin the frame in applying andremoving the fabric, they may, when of thevangular form shown, be liftedfrom the side channels 25 by being allowed to pivot in the end channels25: The portions of the frame which form the outer walls of the channels25 and 25 are best cut away or terminated at the corners so as toprovide open ended'channels, and the retaining rods may in such case beprovided with lifting extensions 31, whereby the end of the rod may beconveniently raised from the channel. in order that the frames 25 shallbe of light weight and yet strong, compact and cheap to make, they arebest made by casting in a single piece from aluminum or a suitablealuminum alloy. i

The assembling frame is of rectangular shape of a width or heightcorresponding to the length of the fabric holding frames 25 and of suchlength as desired to hold the de sired number of holding frames placedside by side therein, and the side bars of the frame are formed withchannels to receive the ends of the fabric holding frames. Both the endsand sides of the frame are best made of metal channel bars as shownsecured together with the channeled sides or faces of the bars facinginwardly, and one end bar, as the bar 35 at the right hand end in Fig.1, is removably secured, as by means of screws extending through theflange porticns of the side bars and through blocks 36 extending beyondthe cut-away flange portions of the end bar as clearly shown in Fig. 2.By removing the screws the endbar 35 is left free sufficient 1,175,ee7y,

to be removed and the fabric holding frames may then be slid intoposition in the assembling frame or removed therefrom. The fabricholding frames when in position in the assembling frame abut againsteach other and fill the whole space within the assembling frame or asmuch thereof as may be desired. After the holding frames have beenplaced in the assembling frame the end bar 35 replaced and secured inposition.

It is desirable that the assembling frame with its contained fabricholding frames shall not be at any part of such thickness as tointerfere with the operation of the embroidery mechanism of themachineor as to necessitate change or modification of such mechanism asmade for work of other character. My work holding frames and assemblingframes are therefore made with the idea of avoidin any such undesirablethickness in any part thereof, and with this idea in mind, I make thebars of the assembling frame of a thickness substantially the same asthat of the work holding frames and form the ends of the work holdingframes with reduced portions 37 to fit within the channels in the sidebars of the assembling frame. it will be noticed that the assemblingframe is of rather light construction for its length, but this is notobjectionable, since when the frame is in working position in themachine, the long side bars of the assembling frame are supported by thechanneled supporting bars 13 and 1%, which receive the side Jars of theassembling frame and thus efficiently reinforce the same. The frontflanges of the end bars of the assembling frame are best cut awayslightly as shown at 38 in order to provide space between them and theflanges 30 of the end holding frames for convenient tucking in ofextending portions cf material stretched on such frames.

In using the apparatus above described the fabric holding frames mayhave the material to be embroidered stretched thereon before the framesare assembled in the frame 15, but usually the desired number of holdingframes will be assembled in the assembling frames and will then remainin position and have liandlrerchiefs or other pieces of fabric stretchedthereon and removed therefrom as desired until such time as it may bedesirable or necessary for any reason to remove the holding frames fromthe assembling frames, as because of breakage or injury to some holdingframe or for substituting frames of different size or other reasrn. VJhen pieces of fabric to be embroidered are to be stretched, assemblingframe with its contained holding frames is conveniently laid flat on atable or other suitable support and the pieces of fabric separatelysecured to the different holding frames by stretching the portion ofeach piece to be embroidered over the face of the frame to which it isto be secured while the retaining bars 2? are wholly removed from theframe or lifted out of the channels while their short arms 27 remain inthe end channels 525; then the bars are pressed down. to force thematerial into the channels and to stretch the material across the frameand hold it securely in its stretched condition, as shown in Fig. 6.tions of the material may then be rolled up and tucked into the adjacentrecesses 29 or otherwise tucked into the recesses as indi cated also inFig. 6. When the pieces of fabric to be embroidered have all beenstretched on the holding frames, the assembling frame with its containedholding frames is positioned on the vibrating frame of the embroideringmachine by placing the lower side of the assembling frame in the channelof the supporting bar 13 and then with the frame in position loweringthe upper supporting bar 1% and securing it in its holding position.

The object of having the fabric holding frames or devices formed asseparate frames and removably mounted in the assembling frame 15 ismerely one of convenience for permitting removal of broken or 'ijureaframes or substituting frames of different sizes. Obviously, it is notnecessary for all purposes of the invention that such separate andremovable holding devices shall be used, and the construction might bemade otherwise to provide the carrying or assembling frame with fabricholding channels arranged in pairs with an unobstructed space betweenthe channels of each pair across which the pieces of fabric may bestretched and with recesses between each pair of channels for receivingthe unstretched portions of the pieces of fabric; and the means forproviding such pairs of fabric holding channels instead of being carriedby a. removable carrying frame might be otherwise secured to thevibrating frame of the embroidering machine as desired. It is to beunderstood, therefore, that the invention is not to be limited whetherin the above particulars or in other ways to the exact construction,arrangement or combinations of parts as shown in the drawings and towhich the foregoing description has been mainly confined, but that itincludes changes and modifications there of within the claims.

What is claimed is 1. Fabric holding apparatus for emlnoidering machinescomprising means formed to provide holding channels arranged. in pairswith the channels of each pair spaced for the stretching of fabric betcc-n them and to provide fabric retaining recesses between adjacentchannels of adjacent pairs to receive unstretched portions of thefabric,

The extending perthe sides of the recesses being adaptedto frictionallyengage and hold the fabric, and retaining devices for pressing thefabric into said channels.

2. Fabric holding apparatus for embroidering machines comprising fabricholding devices arranged to provide a plurality of unobstructed spacesacross which pieces of fabric may be stretched, said devices beingformed with fabric holding channels and to provide fabric retainingrecesses between side walls of adjacent fabric holding chan nels toreceive and hold unstretched portions of the fabric.

3. Fabric holding apparatus for embroidering machines, comprising aplurality of fabric holding devices each having channeled side membersformed with fabric holding channels and arranged to provide anunobstructed space across which a piece of fabric may be stretched, saidholding de vices being formed to provide a fabric retaining recess withundercut side walls between channeled side members of adjacent holdingdevices for receiving the unstretched portions of the fabric.

l. Fabric holding apparatus for embroidering machines comprising incombination with a vibrating frame, a carrying frame removably mountedin the vibrating frame and provided with fabric holding devicesincluding members extending across the carrying frame and arranged toprovide a plurality of unobstructed spaces across which the fabric maybe stretched and formed to provide fabric retaining recesses with underout side walls between adjacent stretcl'iing spaces for receiving theunstretched portions of the fabric, and parts to cooperate with saidmembers to stretch and hold the fabric.

5. Fabric holding apparatus for embroid ering machines, comprising incombination with a vibrating frame, a carrying frame removably mountedin the vibrating frame, and a plurality of fabric holding framesremovably mounted in the carrying frame, said fabric holdingframes'having means for stretching and securing the fabric thereonwhereby the fabric may be stretched thereon and removed therefrom whilethe holding frames are mounted in the carrying frame, and said fabricholding frames being formed to provide fabric retaining recesses betweenadjacent frames to receive unstretched portions of the fabric, the sidesof the recesses being adapted to frictionally engage and hold thefabric.

6. Fabric holding apparatus for embroidering machines, comprising incombination with. a vibrating frame, a pair of horizontally extendingand relatively adjustable channeled supporting members, a carrying theirchannels opening inward, anda plurality of fabric holding framesremovably mounted in said channeled side bars of the carrying frame, theside bars of the fabric holding frames'which extend transversely of thecarrying frame being formed with fabric holding channels opening towardthe front of the frames and being formed to provide recesses between theside bars of adjacent fabric holding frames in which unstretchedportions of the fabric stretched onthe frames maybe tucked, the sides ofthe recesses being adapted to frictionally engage and hold the fabric.

8. A. fabric holding frame for embroidering machines, comprising sidebars formed with fabric holding channels opening toward the front of theframe, and retaining V rods fitting in said channels to hold the fabricstretched between said side bars, the side edges of the frame beingshaped to provide a recess between the frame and an adjoining frameopening toward the front of the frame and closed at the back and inwhich the extending portion of a piece .of fabric stretched on the framemay be tucked.

9. A fabric holding frame for embroidering machines, comprising sidebars formed with fabric holding channels opening toward the front of theframe, and retaining rods fitting in said channels to hold the fabricstretched between said side bars, the side bars having rear spacingflanges for engaging similar flanges on adjoining frames when aplurality of frames are assembled, whereby recesses are provided betweenadjoining assembled frames in which unstretched portions of fabricstretched on the frames may be tucked.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH TOPLITZ. Witnesses A. L. KENT, D. A. DAvIns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

